As a guy that just got his first Baofeng, this has been the most informative straight forward video on the subject I have seen. Thank you. I have subscribed.
@TheSmokinApe everyone who is thinking about buying any BF product and most people that already own some model of BF should watch this vid. I learned a few things. And good call on mentioning trunked systems. U covered pretty much the maximum amount of retainable info one can expect in a video that people will actually understand and walk away smarter. I'm trying to learn GMRS and now want to explore other comms types that are available for two way or open channel like walkie talkie ish capabilites
Fell out of scanning 4 years ago when I started having to carry a radio for on call. Aviation industry. Just got back into it and found that besides state law enforcement and half of my county have all gone Phase II or DMR. Even business have moved to DMR. I keep a couple UV-9R Pros around for around our home and travel, but have moved to SDS100 with DMR upgrade for scanning. For reference the population here is around 75K. Baofeng is still better than nothing.... But soon nearly all communications will be digital.
EXCELLENT video. Having a Bearcat BC125 scanner, a Baofeng UV5R, and an ICOM IC-V80, I can say your video is 100% accurate. Even the V-80 is better at scanning since you can do 3 groups of “edge to edge” scanning. And select all of them or only one or two. I frequently have my Bearcat running in the background when using my HT
In my area the police are still simple analog and I only have those small few mixed with my ham simplex and repeater frequencies on the ole Baofeng But for more realistic and fun scanning I definitely use my Uniden scanner. It just has better capabilities and I definitely agree with you. 73 Ape and good info KO4HPC :)
yeh bud same here in South florida i guess all major metr- politian cities are going digitial. My friends have a Bear cat that he get to hear and listen to police and fire dept tht use P25 trucked systems.
I got a M5r for Xmas, thats why II found your channel. I ain't heard a peep out of this thing except for the weather radio. I live in a big city. Not sure if I'm doing it wrong or if this thing is worthless. If nothing else I have a pocket size NOAA.
I use an UR-5R for dedicated listening of 2 channels, my towns police and fire, that I scan; plus a few others in the memory that I would have to manually move to. As a result the slow scanning has not been a problem, since I'm not really using it as a scanner. It's also nice to be able to have the FM radio on and the last channel I was listening to break in when there is activity. I also modded the charging dock by getting rid of the barrel jack and replacing it with a 5v USB port connected to a boost converter so that I can use the charges and cables I already have all over the place at home, work, or in the car. TL;DR It's a specialized tool that can compliment a scanner; but not replace one.
The UV-5R is a decent choice for "railfans", The RR bands are not super busy, so the slow speed is not really a big problem, you're not going to miss much.
I live in the middle of the City of Pittsburgh where it's all non trunked analog UHF-FM for police, fire and EMS. (as are most of the suburbs). A Baofeng as a scanner IS doable here. (I've done it...) Of course an actual scanner is more flexible, In my area the BC125AT is MORE than enough, (And they are cheap!)
I think it comes down to what it is you want to do. If you want to just scan, and you can ramp up the investment, get a dedicated scanner that can listen to what it is you want to hear. That makes sense. If you are wanting to get your feet wet and see if this is for you, buy a cheap Baofeng UV-5R. I personally find it a n inexpensive radio that scans the 15 or so freqs that are FM that I want to hear. You can transmit if you have a HAM License too - great for disaster scenarios. Scared of accidental keying? CHIRP can mark everything you save so you can't transmit. And it's easy and free. If anyone has ever used a spreadsheet like Excel, you can easily drop your local freqs into the UV-5R. For serious listening, I crack upon my SDR rig. Just my 2 cents.
I have the sds 100 as well. The 100 and 200 are the most modern and up to date. The Whistler TRX is a real good scanner as well. The sds models came out in 2016, 2017. I wonder what’s next. Uniden is due for a new model…
I liked you video but i have a question i just bought Baofeng UV-5R and how do i find police ambulance frequencies and but i don't know ant repeters in my area how do i find them?
Sadly, since I moved to Middle Tennessee all of the agencies have move to P25 and completely eliminated analog. I don't know if they are encrypted but I don't have a P25 radio and I would think twice before buying one for fear that it would not work because of encryption.
use to use scanner when i drove semis helped if there was a crash ahead especially when the CB Rambos started being all over the radio but when most cops went digital i hardly used the old analog one
If you turn off Battery Saver in the Baofeng the scan feature speeds up greatly and I've not seen a difference in battery life with my BF-F8HP. This is Menu 3 [SAVE], then set this to OFF.
so for someone that knows nothing of short band radio hobby but dumb enough to purchase one of these Baofangs can you make some simple set ups to listen in my area and some advice on how to get into the hobby. Just so you know I came about getting two of these is I do reviews for Amazon and I thought that looks fun. Then I realize it is a lot of schooling and work to use it.
Just bought my first Baofeng which was the UV-9R Pro. I find the instructions very lacking on how to program it. Is there a video somewhere with the absolute basics on how to program this? Otherwise I sell it.. THX
I have a couple of Baofeng radios, and I recently bought a TYT radio. After watching your video on best budget scanner, I bought a Uniden BC125AT. Sadly, I wanted to scan Chicago police and EMT channels but discovered they are moving to encrypted transmissions. Which kind of make my new BC125AT some of of a brick. Can you do a video on what to do with an analog scanner now that digital is on the rise.
the majority of law enforcement coms have moved up to apco 25 , phase 1 or phase 2 , and you will also run into voice encryption ..,so monitoring on the analog side will be highly limited.
i was wondering if someone could give me a suggestion for my first scanner, i just recently got my first radio (uv-5r) and after playing with it and beginning to learn its capabilities and how to use it, i love it but also realized its limitations. im a full time firefighter and want something that can reliably scan nearby fire/ems/police etc. i thought maybe upgrading the antenna on the uv-5r might help me pick up more but im beginning to realize a handheld/portable scanner is the way to go for not missing transmissions within a 10 mile radius🤞. side note - someone else commented saying uv-5r is a gateway drug im living that right now lol. still happy with my purchase to have the uv-5r to play with and keep for emergency but my main interest/use is listening not transmitting
The 5R is a fun radio to play around with. For a suggestion I would call the folks at Zip Scanners and ask them. They have a database of what would work best in your area.
Good info for a beginner trying to decide. Some misinformation, and a few easy workarounds for the “can’t” list, but ok. Now list what the Baofeng can do that a scanner can’t.
It’s going to depend on the systems they use; I recommend calling the folks at zip scanners and they can check for you while recommend the appropriate scanner.
It’s really going to depend on your location and the types of traffic you can and want to listen to. Call zip scanners and they can look in the database and tell you what would work there…
Most Police, medical, fire, and even security companies use trunked digital systems like P25 phase 2 now. This is all solid info that most people don't talk about. I personally would never buy a Baofeng.
It's really going to be about the services they are using in your area. Your best bet would be to give the folks at Zip Scanners a call and they could provide the best answer.
The majority of public safety in the US is on digital and/or trunked 800 mhz and P25 Phase I/II. A Baofeng will not do you any good in those locations. Not to mention how many departments encrypt their traffic. Some locations, especially rural, still use simplex VHF/UHF as do the railroads (but I understand that is going away soon). If you live in an area with simplex VHF/UHF you'll still be able to monitor them, but that's it.
What would be a good device to listen to police/fire/nascar/aviation/marine. but I guess Id want the option for digital as well for more advanced police/fire signals
I had a scanner many,many years ago that I bought crystals for but I want another scanner but have no idea what to get as the tech is beyond me.I want to get cops,fire ambulance and much more. I am near Ft.Campbell,Ky can you suggest a scanner for me.I am low tech and need lots of help.Thanks.....I looked at radioreference and am confused.LOL
A 25$ Baofeng and a 500$ scanner are two completely different classes of radios in terms of functionality. You could get uvf / vhf analog scanners for 50-75$.
I got alot analog here "but the hi unfiltered receive of baofeng's some freqs hang up when I move from place to place just stopping scan function. Secondly the scan is too slow even at 50 channels takes to long come around it seems to work better just using it for ameatur radio. RX & TX . Using as a scanner in the PC programing the Decode pl or digital Decode tones can be put in but all Baofeng's delay opening of the recieve 1/3 second when this is on. You get what you pay for $25 but still useful. In PC programing all transmit can be locked out so you can't transmit.
@@TheSmokinApe A lot has changed since the launching of china made HT"s . They are what they are but not totally useless . I remember getting ham ticket in 1994 you paid ,$150-200 for a radio extra battery was $45 . We can be thankful there is something that works for less . They got drawbacks . Your video outlines the quality as radio or scanner pros&cons well. 73 z
I used to use my UV5R to listen to my local pd and fire. Now I use my UV5G GMRS radios to listen. You can program in frequencies and listen but not transmit.
@@TheSmokinApe I haven’t used chirp yet but have used my Bluetooth programmer. Today I hardwired one of my UV5Rs into my car. Car charger on extended battery with shoulder mic and tied in to my uhf/vhf antenna on my trunk. (Was an old cop car)
Yess i got in and shut off a lot of stuff just kept the recive even soldered the xmit button shut. And a better antenna. as to say the pouch.i keep a spare battery a stubby and standard antenna. The fm radio is a plus. With reading weather. Even had a plane cloths officer grab my rig and gripe to his superior then given back when the they found the xmit button welded shut .. hense scanner. Ps face it the cost is high. Not every body gete digtal. Hi hi😊😊
Frock! I just wanted to know if this thing would scan police band. I didn't want a freaking sermon... Can anyone just answer the question? D 10:56 oes this pick up police?
I have a wouxun handheld and a wouxun car ham radio and both ham radios came with a software for computer and a cable to connect radio to computer for programming and both ham radios can receive and transmit on all first responder radio frequencies and I have 2 different software defined radio systems that runs from my laptop and both can do everything from 1khz to 7ghz. So yes if you get a good ham radio you can use any frequency both of wouxun are 9 different bands I can run on. I have 1 baofang and it’s just straight ham radio that is limited on frequencies I can use but I do have the cable and software to program it but it’s not worth it especially when I have a few different ham radios that can tap into first responder, government and military radio frequencies but all the government radio frequencies are encrypted so you need to have good decryption software and I only know how to do that with my hackRFone SDR radio
As someone with over 15 years of HAM and scanning experience, not only would I not use this or any other cheap Chinese radio as a scanner, I wouldn't even use them as a transceiver. Not only are they made with cheap electronics and can only monitor/transmit conventional analog, but they also use a different system for reverse burst for squelch tail. In layman's terms, simply entering a PL/DPL will NOT eliminate squelch tail. I bought one of these a couple years ago for shits and giggles and I returned in about 3 weeks later.
I use a fried final UV5R for AAR 06-97 Railroad channels. Good to listen to USCG/VHF marine. If you have any handi which does not transmit, put those freqs in, and give rig and charger to somebody interested in ham radio.
Why does my city only show the dispatch. But every other city in my area has dispatch and a police frequency.? Shouldn't they by law have to have that information available even if its p25 or anything else?
Damnit man it’s such a simple answer. But intuitive to me it was not. It does indeed take a community. How can one person learn everything from medicine to music, flintknapping, hand to hand, farming and animal husbandry, map making, gun smithing, regular smithing, staying proficient with your weapons and able to move about with all your stuff at speed, while working for the man in modern times, and then mess around with radios as well? I need to know at least a little bit but I may have found a can of worms I will not open all the way 😁 unlikely
I think your comments are relevant but not entirely accurate. For instance there are several Baofeng models that receive air bands such as the BF-F8HP Pro. Also there are several Baofeng models that allow you skip frequencies or stored channels during scans. You are correct about digital and trunked; however, some communities still use analog. Even in Tucson where I live, TPD and TFD don’t use analog anymore, but there are suburbs and other community agencies that use analog. And many communities will repeat to analog. I am not suggesting you will get a lot, but I receive plenty. I would do more research and revise some comments. As far as front loading and spurious emissions, I cannot comment as an expert, but I have seen most experts say there are issues.
Hey DP. I'm pretty sure I covered the local rebroadcast on FM Analog, but that's not a guarantee. I also have done videos on using radio reference so folks can see whats available. It's an older video so I am pretty sure at that time Air Band was very limited on Baofengs... If you you a feng, awesome... I am glad you are having luck BUT as someone who had been scanned for years AND has done the research they simply are poor scanners.
Are there any frequencies that a non-HAM operator can use/broadcast on on the Baofeng? I bought 2 for my son and I to talk when in the woods before I knew what they were. Will I get in trouble with the FCC if we use them? I haven’t used them yet. Thanks!!!
Maybe look into MURS bands. 151 - 154Mhz. Looks like you don't need a license for those bands if used recreationally. I'm not saying to go ahead and TX on these bands without doing your own research, I may be wrong, I am new to the Civ side of all this
As a guy that just got his first Baofeng, this has been the most informative straight forward video on the subject I have seen. Thank you. I have subscribed.
Thanks man, glad it was helpful 👍
So can you listen to the police in you're place, with the uv-5r?
This dudes voice is almost hypnotic. And I'm pretty sure he could talk people into doing just about anything
lol, thanks for watching 👍
@TheSmokinApe everyone who is thinking about buying any BF product and most people that already own some model of BF should watch this vid. I learned a few things. And good call on mentioning trunked systems. U covered pretty much the maximum amount of retainable info one can expect in a video that people will actually understand and walk away smarter. I'm trying to learn GMRS and now want to explore other comms types that are available for two way or open channel like walkie talkie ish capabilites
Great job explaining the limitations of using a Baofeng Transceiver as a scanner.
Glad you liked it, thank you for watching!
Dang, I'm not even a radio guy and now I gotta have a scanner!! 😭😭😁
Haha
then go buy one it covers every thing
they are fun I have had 50 in 50 years
Acch
Same here! 😂
Fell out of scanning 4 years ago when I started having to carry a radio for on call. Aviation industry. Just got back into it and found that besides state law enforcement and half of my county have all gone Phase II or DMR. Even business have moved to DMR. I keep a couple UV-9R Pros around for around our home and travel, but have moved to SDS100 with DMR upgrade for scanning. For reference the population here is around 75K.
Baofeng is still better than nothing.... But soon nearly all communications will be digital.
Yeah, more and more encryption is coming
Your consumer advice is very frank and helpful, The SmokinApe 😀
Glad you liked the video ML7 👍
Very well done. The speed of the scanning and the lockout feature is enough for me to stick with a scanner. I do like my Baofengs, however.
I agree on both points. Thanks for watching James.
Baofeng has a lockout option
EXCELLENT video. Having a Bearcat BC125 scanner, a Baofeng UV5R, and an ICOM IC-V80, I can say your video is 100% accurate.
Even the V-80 is better at scanning since you can do 3 groups of “edge to edge” scanning. And select all of them or only one or two. I frequently have my Bearcat running in the background when using my HT
Glad you liked the video, thanks for watching 👍
In my area the police are still simple analog and I only have those small few mixed with my ham simplex and repeater frequencies on the ole Baofeng But for more realistic and fun scanning I definitely use my Uniden scanner. It just has better capabilities and I definitely agree with you. 73 Ape and good info KO4HPC :)
Hey Adam, glad to hear you are in the scanning game. Thanks for the comment bro...
Same for me
All law enforcement and fire department. Now use a trunked digital system, where I live. So no analog radio is useable.
Sorry to hear that…
yeh bud same here in South florida i guess all major metr- politian cities are going digitial. My friends have a Bear cat that he get to hear and listen to police and fire dept tht use P25 trucked systems.
Same here in AZ
I got a M5r for Xmas, thats why II found your channel. I ain't heard a peep out of this thing except for the weather radio. I live in a big city. Not sure if I'm doing it wrong or if this thing is worthless. If nothing else I have a pocket size NOAA.
I use an UR-5R for dedicated listening of 2 channels, my towns police and fire, that I scan; plus a few others in the memory that I would have to manually move to. As a result the slow scanning has not been a problem, since I'm not really using it as a scanner. It's also nice to be able to have the FM radio on and the last channel I was listening to break in when there is activity.
I also modded the charging dock by getting rid of the barrel jack and replacing it with a 5v USB port connected to a boost converter so that I can use the charges and cables I already have all over the place at home, work, or in the car.
TL;DR
It's a specialized tool that can compliment a scanner; but not replace one.
It sounds like you have a pretty go0d use case for it. Thanks for the comment 👍
The UV-5R is a decent choice for "railfans", The RR bands are not super busy, so the slow speed is not really a big problem, you're not going to miss much.
And rail is a limit number of “channels”, great point 👍
Good Video Ape. I forget the old days when i lived in scanner land they do have their place defiantly.
Howdy Ben, thanks for checking it out 👍
thay still do you just have to weight for the news media Toget what you missed becouse the went enc
I live in the middle of the City of Pittsburgh where it's all non trunked analog UHF-FM for police, fire and EMS. (as are most of the suburbs). A Baofeng as a scanner IS doable here. (I've done it...) Of course an actual scanner is more flexible, In my area the BC125AT is MORE than enough, (And they are cheap!)
Yeah, I can see how the 125AT would be perfect there, thanks for watching 👍
There's apps that do this. But now I'm curious AF
I think it comes down to what it is you want to do. If you want to just scan, and you can ramp up the investment, get a dedicated scanner that can listen to what it is you want to hear. That makes sense. If you are wanting to get your feet wet and see if this is for you, buy a cheap Baofeng UV-5R. I personally find it a n inexpensive radio that scans the 15 or so freqs that are FM that I want to hear. You can transmit if you have a HAM License too - great for disaster scenarios. Scared of accidental keying? CHIRP can mark everything you save so you can't transmit. And it's easy and free. If anyone has ever used a spreadsheet like Excel, you can easily drop your local freqs into the UV-5R. For serious listening, I crack upon my SDR rig. Just my 2 cents.
Fair point 👍
Great video and well stated Ape ! Nothing surpasses my Uniden SDS100.
Hey HRB, you’re right about the SDS. Thanks for watching the video 👍
Hate my sds sold it
I have the sds 100 as well. The 100 and 200 are the most modern and up to date. The Whistler TRX is a real good scanner as well. The sds models came out in 2016, 2017. I wonder what’s next. Uniden is due for a new model…
I have watched now 10 videos on this and not one has shown this item scanning the police frequency
Great video, but I wish I could find a video about whether scanners in general can be used as a police scanner (like Radtel 470x)
It would depend on the system the police dept is using.
I liked you video but i have a question i just bought Baofeng UV-5R and how do i find police ambulance frequencies and but i don't know ant repeters in my area how do i find them?
I’d check radio reference and repeater book 👍
Hi Ape, I recently heard you are battling that corona virus. Feel better soon buddy.
Thanks Adam, it finally got me 😩
Hi Ape,
Good info detailing the differences. Stay safe. 73 WJ3U
Thanks for checking it out Don
Do you know why I only hear the dispatcher and not all the officers ?
On trunked systems, the dispatcher is on on frequency and others are used for talk around.
Ctcs or dcs tone code maybe?
Could still be simplex but dispatch is on one frequency and officers are on a another frequency.
Sadly, since I moved to Middle Tennessee all of the agencies have move to P25 and completely eliminated analog. I don't know if they are encrypted but I don't have a P25 radio and I would think twice before buying one for fear that it would not work because of encryption.
I bought a p25 and then the rolled out encrypted stuff, I was pretty bummed about that
Good information (as usual) Thx Ape !
Glad you liked it!
Well done explanation!!
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback 👍
I need to find the sds100 at the price of the Boofwang!😄
Good sensible info Clarence🐿, I have a scanner on my wishlist but need a HF radio first.🍻👍📻
Hey Don. Good luck on the discount 100, let me know if you find one!
@@TheSmokinApe will do, I have a saved search on them. 🤞🙏🤓
Sds 100 isn’t worth it
really enjoyed the video, i use many two way radios, and analog scanners
Glad you liked it George 👍
use to use scanner when i drove semis helped if there was a crash ahead especially when the CB Rambos started being all over the radio but when most cops went digital i hardly used the old analog one
They are handy for hearing what’s going on, thanks for watching Don
If you turn off Battery Saver in the Baofeng the scan feature speeds up greatly and I've not seen a difference in battery life with my BF-F8HP. This is Menu 3 [SAVE], then set this to OFF.
I’ll check that out, thanks Scotty 👍🍻
Very concise and knowledgeable, thanks, following now
Thanks Joe, glad you liked it!
so for someone that knows nothing of short band radio hobby but dumb enough to purchase one of these Baofangs can you make some simple set ups to listen in my area and some advice on how to get into the hobby.
Just so you know I came about getting two of these is I do reviews for Amazon and I thought that looks fun. Then I realize it is a lot of schooling and work to use it.
@@jvmiller1995 this should get
You up and running How to Program a Baofeng HAM Radio with Chirp - TheSmokinApe
ua-cam.com/video/0l_kdktZAkI/v-deo.html
@@TheSmokinApe thanks
Just bought my first Baofeng which was the UV-9R Pro. I find the instructions very lacking on how to program it. Is there a video somewhere with the absolute basics on how to program this? Otherwise I sell it.. THX
Replying so if someone comments with some knowledge I'll get a notification
Not alot of good news out there, using these for scanning doesn’t seem like a great option.
Apparently, I need a full class. That was a lot of good info. I just started with bf888 and chirp😮
Welcome to the hobby and thanks for watching 👍
I have a couple of Baofeng radios, and I recently bought a TYT radio. After watching your video on best budget scanner, I bought a Uniden BC125AT. Sadly, I wanted to scan Chicago police and EMT channels but discovered they are moving to encrypted transmissions. Which kind of make my new BC125AT some of of a brick.
Can you do a video on what to do with an analog scanner now that digital is on the rise.
Yeah, I can do something.
the majority of law enforcement coms have moved up to apco 25 , phase 1 or phase 2 , and you will also run into voice encryption ..,so monitoring on the analog side will be highly limited.
I’d agree the analog sounds a getting more and more limited. Thanks for watching 👍
Thanks. Your talking to the right person here.
👍
Hey smokin I have a question about my boafeng ar-152. Can I use it as a police scanner?
If the public services in your area are transmitted on FM analog on the frequencies that are within the 152’s frequency range 👍
Seems like you know a lot about radios. Would it be ok with you if add you on discord or something so I can ask questions? If that's ok?
I’m on the TOADs discord, it’s filled with radio people: discord.gg/VSeYtA2vWU
Hi ape.
Can you use a dmr radio ham ver. To listen to local agency's using dmr tier 1&2?
You might be able to if they ate not encrypted and on a frequency that the radio can cover.
i was wondering if someone could give me a suggestion for my first scanner, i just recently got my first radio (uv-5r) and after playing with it and beginning to learn its capabilities and how to use it, i love it but also realized its limitations. im a full time firefighter and want something that can reliably scan nearby fire/ems/police etc. i thought maybe upgrading the antenna on the uv-5r might help me pick up more but im beginning to realize a handheld/portable scanner is the way to go for not missing transmissions within a 10 mile radius🤞.
side note - someone else commented saying uv-5r is a gateway drug im living that right now lol. still happy with my purchase to have the uv-5r to play with and keep for emergency but my main interest/use is listening not transmitting
The 5R is a fun radio to play around with. For a suggestion I would call the folks at Zip Scanners and ask them. They have a database of what would work best in your area.
Great video.
Thanks Chris 👍
Good info for a beginner trying to decide. Some misinformation, and a few easy workarounds for the “can’t” list, but ok. Now list what the Baofeng can do that a scanner can’t.
Transmit.
@ LOL
have a DR-1801 can Crristian Co Mo be recieved with this radio?
Sorry man, I am not sure
Our local police have the frequency encryption 😢. Anyways to get around that?
Nope
Can a DMR radio listen to all of those digital frequencies i can hear on my baofeng
Hey TAC, a DMR radio can decode DMR not other digital modes like YSF, Dstar, P25, etc...
How Can I Order A Police Scanner so I can hear police officer Deputy Sheriff in Georgia State Patrol
It’s going to depend on the systems they use; I recommend calling the folks at zip scanners and they can check for you while recommend the appropriate scanner.
Will this be able to transmit digital
No
Thanks man!
Thanks for watching TRB 👍
Recommendations for best,budget friendly scanner for a beginner?
It’s really going to depend on your location and the types of traffic you can and want to listen to. Call zip scanners and they can look in the database and tell you what would work there…
Quick ques...I want to listen to the local city police in my area and they operate on a trunking system , can I listen to them on a Bofang?
No, you would need one that can handle the specific trunking system 👍
would someone tell me how a baufang is going to cover 800 megerts which the police and fire use.???
It won’t
thank you that is what i thought
Thanks for watching Donald 👍
Most Police, medical, fire, and even security companies use trunked digital systems like P25 phase 2 now. This is all solid info that most people don't talk about. I personally would never buy a Baofeng.
I love the part where he answered the question
Me too
What's the frequency, Kenneth??😀
Who
It depends. Because frequencies.
I click the associate link still didn't get a scanner that would work for me.
I always recommend that folks reach out to Zip Scanners, they are probably the best people to help you pick a scanner that meets your needs.
what would you say your best option to listen to police,fire,emt?
It's really going to be about the services they are using in your area. Your best bet would be to give the folks at Zip Scanners a call and they could provide the best answer.
The majority of public safety in the US is on digital and/or trunked 800 mhz and P25 Phase I/II. A Baofeng will not do you any good in those locations. Not to mention how many departments encrypt their traffic. Some locations, especially rural, still use simplex VHF/UHF as do the railroads (but I understand that is going away soon). If you live in an area with simplex VHF/UHF you'll still be able to monitor them, but that's it.
I’d agree with that assessment, thanks for watching Jack 👍
What would be a good device to listen to police/fire/nascar/aviation/marine. but I guess Id want the option for digital as well for more advanced police/fire signals
You’re probably looking at a 600$ scanner, the best bet would be to call the folks at zip scanners and tell them what you are looking for…
Not with it I sent mine back
Thanks great info
Glad it was helpful!
Doesn't work in the UK, all emergency services use an encrypted digital system
What are they hiding? In America it's public information
They can’t hear you if you tried to talk on the radio though right?
Scanners are receive only 👍
If you talk on a Baofeng, they could hear you
Is there anyway you can help me program this through phone call. I can pay you I’m just trying to figure this out and need a little bit more help.
can i make a separate scan list, and not scan all of them ?
Sure can
U can use this as a scanner I am I have 3 setup 2 as scanner and one is my portable
Awesome, glad it’s working out for you
I bought a baofeng just to get into the game and I already don’t want it anymore no local responders near me use analog
THat sucks man, sorry to hear it...
@@TheSmokinApe any suggestions for a good digital scanner? I was considering uniden but the price tag is up there
what scanner do you recommend?
I liked the sds100
What desktop charger works with the UV5G???
Plus
Doesn’t it come with one?
@@TheSmokinApe no. Usbc cable
Oh, I don't know... sorry man
I had a scanner many,many years ago that I bought crystals for but I want another scanner but have no idea what to get as the tech is beyond me.I want to get cops,fire ambulance and much more. I am near Ft.Campbell,Ky can you suggest a scanner for me.I am low tech and need lots of help.Thanks.....I looked at radioreference and am confused.LOL
I'd call the folks over a Zip Scanner, they would be able to point you in the right direction. Super friendly folks...
@@TheSmokinApe Thanks
Can this work with p25 systems?
A Baofeng, no.
Do you recomend any affordable scanners that can replace my baofeng? The ones that I have found are $500+
A 25$ Baofeng and a 500$ scanner are two completely different classes of radios in terms of functionality. You could get uvf / vhf analog scanners for 50-75$.
I got alot analog here "but the hi unfiltered receive of baofeng's some freqs hang up when I move from place to place just stopping scan function.
Secondly the scan is too slow even at 50 channels takes to long come around
it seems to work better just using
it for ameatur radio. RX & TX .
Using as a scanner in the PC programing the Decode pl or digital Decode tones can be put in but all Baofeng's delay opening of the recieve 1/3 second when this is on. You get what you pay for $25 but still useful.
In PC programing all transmit can be locked out so you can't transmit.
I agree with you. People think I am bashing on the Baofeng's but I am not, just speaking realistically about them.
@@TheSmokinApe
A lot has changed since the launching of china made HT"s .
They are what they are but not totally useless . I remember getting ham ticket in 1994 you paid ,$150-200
for a radio extra battery was $45 .
We can be thankful there is something that works for less . They got drawbacks . Your video outlines the quality as radio or scanner pros&cons well. 73 z
Yeah, my first 4-5 radios were Baofengs... lol. Thanks for the comments Duane
I used to use my UV5R to listen to my local pd and fire. Now I use my UV5G GMRS radios to listen. You can program in frequencies and listen but not transmit.
As an added layer of protection you can use CHirp to lock of transmit 👍
@@TheSmokinApe I haven’t used chirp yet but have used my Bluetooth programmer. Today I hardwired one of my UV5Rs into my car. Car charger on extended battery with shoulder mic and tied in to my uhf/vhf antenna on my trunk. (Was an old cop car)
Plus i like that baofeng can habe its ptt function disabled with the computer app so it eliminates the oops capability
Good point
Must law enforcement are starting to standardize p25 and p25e so you can't listen without a p25 type radio
I just bought a cheap xts5000 and programmed a few p25 capable freqs in it to listen to police fire ect.
Nice!
Yess i got in and shut off a lot of stuff just kept the recive even soldered the xmit button shut. And a better antenna. as to say the pouch.i keep a spare battery a stubby and standard antenna. The fm radio is a plus. With reading weather. Even had a plane cloths officer grab my rig and gripe to his superior then given back when the they found the xmit button welded shut .. hense scanner. Ps face it the cost is high. Not every body gete digtal. Hi hi😊😊
Any advantages to using a baofeng?
The biggest advantage, and possibly the only is it's price.
Frock! I just wanted to know if this thing would scan police band. I didn't want a freaking sermon... Can anyone just answer the question? D 10:56 oes this pick up police?
I depends on the frequency and mode they are transmitting on...
Yes, it will receive police frequencies if they are using analog frequency. Will receive both VHF/UHF analog only.
What scanner do I need for Portland Oregon
This should help: www.zipscanners.com/pages/which-police-scanner-do-i-need
Can u use it for trains
Yes
I have a wouxun handheld and a wouxun car ham radio and both ham radios came with a software for computer and a cable to connect radio to computer for programming and both ham radios can receive and transmit on all first responder radio frequencies and I have 2 different software defined radio systems that runs from my laptop and both can do everything from 1khz to 7ghz. So yes if you get a good ham radio you can use any frequency both of wouxun are 9 different bands I can run on. I have 1 baofang and it’s just straight ham radio that is limited on frequencies I can use but I do have the cable and software to program it but it’s not worth it especially when I have a few different ham radios that can tap into first responder, government and military radio frequencies but all the government radio frequencies are encrypted so you need to have good decryption software and I only know how to do that with my hackRFone SDR radio
So much Gate keeping in the radio world
You can say that again…
As someone with over 15 years of HAM and scanning experience, not only would I not use this or any other cheap Chinese radio as a scanner, I wouldn't even use them as a transceiver. Not only are they made with cheap electronics and can only monitor/transmit conventional analog, but they also use a different system for reverse burst for squelch tail. In layman's terms, simply entering a PL/DPL will NOT eliminate squelch tail. I bought one of these a couple years ago for shits and giggles and I returned in about 3 weeks later.
Thanks for the info on the squelch 👍
The UV-5R works great on SAR net in Florida both vhf/uhf. Typical answer from a mad ham.
I use a fried final UV5R for AAR 06-97 Railroad channels. Good to listen to USCG/VHF marine.
If you have any handi which does not transmit, put those freqs in, and give rig and charger to somebody interested in ham radio.
I do hear from a lot of folks that the feng is good for RR.
Yeah it’s all trucker and phase 2 here in WV this isn’t gonna work?
A Baofeng won't hear CB or Phase 2
@@TheSmokinApe trunked
Why does my city only show the dispatch. But every other city in my area has dispatch and a police frequency.?
Shouldn't they by law have to have that information available even if its p25 or anything else?
What the hell is the ‘front end’ of a radio?
The receiver
Damnit man it’s such a simple answer. But intuitive to me it was not.
It does indeed take a community. How can one person learn everything from medicine to music, flintknapping, hand to hand, farming and animal husbandry, map making, gun smithing, regular smithing, staying proficient with your weapons and able to move about with all your stuff at speed, while working for the man in modern times, and then mess around with radios as well? I need to know at least a little bit but I may have found a can of worms I will not open all the way 😁 unlikely
@@theabhorrentchef7226 with radio, you will never stop learning 👍
👀🤨 you hear me bro?
Can you hear me now?
Who me?
Mine works sometimes
@@hungrydingo7037 👍
I like my uv-5r but my local pd is on a dmr system but my county sheriff i get loud and clear on my 5r
Nice 👍
Get a DMR radio. You can get one for $70. You can easily program it to listen to the DMR police channel you want
You can hack them to get am and fm or usb.
I’m not so sure about that
I think your comments are relevant but not entirely accurate. For instance there are several Baofeng models that receive air bands such as the BF-F8HP Pro. Also there are several Baofeng models that allow you skip frequencies or stored channels during scans. You are correct about digital and trunked; however, some communities still use analog. Even in Tucson where I live, TPD and TFD don’t use analog anymore, but there are suburbs and other community agencies that use analog. And many communities will repeat to analog. I am not suggesting you will get a lot, but I receive plenty. I would do more research and revise some comments. As far as front loading and spurious emissions, I cannot comment as an expert, but I have seen most experts say there are issues.
Hey DP. I'm pretty sure I covered the local rebroadcast on FM Analog, but that's not a guarantee. I also have done videos on using radio reference so folks can see whats available. It's an older video so I am pretty sure at that time Air Band was very limited on Baofengs... If you you a feng, awesome... I am glad you are having luck BUT as someone who had been scanned for years AND has done the research they simply are poor scanners.
Yes, you can, BUT the scan rate, as compared to a real scanner, is very slow. If speed is not important, go for it.
Yeah, the scan rate is abysmal 👀
Are there any frequencies that a non-HAM operator can use/broadcast on on the Baofeng? I bought 2 for my son and I to talk when in the woods before I knew what they were. Will I get in trouble with the FCC if we use them? I haven’t used them yet. Thanks!!!
As far as I know you can't.
Maybe look into MURS bands. 151 - 154Mhz. Looks like you don't need a license for those bands if used recreationally. I'm not saying to go ahead and TX on these bands without doing your own research, I may be wrong, I am new to the Civ side of all this
Always do research. Hopefully you've taken the time to get your license. Cheers...
Damn,I cant do anything with the Baofeng I should of got a scanner
A scanner is much more capable 👍
cant scan police in graitbritian
My ems transmit digital sadly
Yeah, that's a kick in the pants
TLDR: Scanner scan more good but no talkie. Baofeng cheaper and scan, but not so good.
Very succinct summary 👍
I also hear one can drive a screw with a hammer. I personally will continue to use a screw drive.
Haha, thanks for watching!
All public safety here are p25
That's no fun